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Psalm 103 is rich in meaning! It is a cure for joylessness and has nine encouraging “alls:” All that is within me, all His benefits, all your iniquity, all your diseases, all who are oppressed, His kingdom rules over all, all His hosts, all His works, all places of His dominion. Read it “all” when you get a chance and deeply absorb the “all” encouragements offered.

In my lifetime love of mathematics, and especially symmetry, I love the thought of “all or nothing,” “black or white,” “right or wrong.” Gray areas are just hard. They upset the symmetry. They mess with the balance. They create tension. They demand patience. So, you can imagine, I love it when “all” means “all.”

Psalm 37:28 (NIV) says, “For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.” “Forever” is an “all” word! In my role as a grandparent of (so far), three beautiful granddaughters, I am sobered by the scriptural indication that patterns of faith or wickedness are passed on through the generations. The “either/or” of it fits my mathematical sensibilities. “Forever” is a serious reality when I consider my grand girls. What “all”-pattern have I laid before them? Psalm 103 gives a great blueprint.

Psalm 103:17-18 (ESV) says, “But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.” As I think deeply about the gifts of God through Jesus Christ and the gifts of grandchildren, the “all” words here are “from everlasting to everlasting.” No fog there. Only what I desire for them. Only the comfort of a God Who keeps His great promises over generations, from everlasting to everlasting. Only the requirement of faith, and the obedience that springs from faith. That is all.

Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” “No other” is the definitive “all”-phrase. Acts 4:10 says, “…It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified but Whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” This is imperative. Passing along faith in Jesus to the next generation. That is all.

In Psalm 103, it is in the Lord alone, and in no other, who:

• Forgives iniquity, removes transgressions
• Heals diseases
• Redeems your life
• Crowns you with love and mercy
• Satisfies you with good
• Works righteousness and justice
• Shows compassion

That is all. Those three little girls running through the sprinkler – all my grandchildren at this moment in time. This is my hope for you. All His benefits. All places of His dominion. All your diseases healed.

 

 

 

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;…” Like Elijah.

James 5:16b-18 (NIV) says “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” Years ago, as a Christian high school student, I memorized part of this scripture in the King James Version: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” I have never forgotten the verse, but I have often forgotten to pray Elijah’s way.

Part of Elijah’s story is found in I Kings 17. Verse 1 says, “… ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’ “ Verse 5 says, “… he (Elijah) did what the Lord had told him.” I am reminded that Elijah’s prayers were initiated and prompted by God, and not by Elijah himself. He was responding to a call. He was obedient. God communicated with Elijah first. Then, Elijah displayed God’s glory as a righteous man who prayed effectively and fervently.

The story of Elijah’s interaction with the Widow at Zarephath (I Kings 17:7-24) indicates that Elijah was sent to the widow by God. God initiated the mission. And, against the widow’s serious doubts, God provided ample flour and oil beyond the almost empty containers she had. She witnessed manna from heaven.

When the widow’s son passed away unexpectedly, Elijah cried out to the Lord, and the Lord resurrected the widow’s son. Elijah was on the spot to pray because he had been sent there by God. It was no coincidence. This was the first resurrection recorded in scripture. In this ancient society, the widow’s son was her only hope for future security, making this miracle especially significant. As a non-Israelite, the widow received a covenant blessing that introduced God’s resurrection power to the world. Elijah was there for a reason. God initiated. Elijah prayed. Resurrection happened.

In I Kings 8, the vision for building the Temple was planted in David’s heart by God, but then carried out later by David’s son Solomon. Another initiation by God. Prayers moved the vision along in unseen ways, at least as far as David was concerned. “Behind the scenes” is a significant place for prayer to occur. Nehemiah 4:13-14 says, “Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.’ ”

The rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall revealed an important prayer principle. Effective and fervent prayer always fills the exposed places behind the lowest points, similar to a battle strategy. Prayer protects the vision and enables God’s plans to be carried out wisely and safely. When we are called to pray, we can be sure that God initiated the call and that we’ve been placed in a strategic battle post by Him.

I John 5:14-15 affirms, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

Elijah was a man just like us. I want to pray like Elijah – effectively and fervently. And confidently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psalm 37:8 “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.”

Today it was my turn to say “do not fret.” Here I was playing “Angry Birds” (the board game version named after the popular video game) with my 7-year-old granddaughter. After numerous frustrating attempts to construct Level 1 buildings with two especially stubborn plastic game pieces, I said let’s just get a little duct tape and fix these two halves that are supposed to snap together, but don’t. This answer made the game immediately less annoying. Problem solved. The two halves became a whole. Fretting eliminated.

The duct tape helped to make construction with malfunctioning plastic pieces more attainable. An extraordinary “magic fixer” with multiple constructive uses – not just for ducts – Nana’s great “bandaid” momentarily cured all “fret-able” frustrations and permitted tower building to move forward at a reasonable pace. Game on. Rescued at last.

Being the polar opposite of a gamer, and being way out of my league concerning any games (with the exception of “Words With Friends”), I still want to record my impressions. The slingshot demolition objective of the game featured two angry birds – I am guessing Red and Hal? Red or Hal were alternately catapulted by each opponent toward some stacked plastic blocks and characters, including green pigs. Points were gained when the appropriate “angry bird” knocked over the entire stack, which of course, by design, was nearly impossible to accomplish beyond Level 1!

I don’t like the word “angry.” Not because I don’t get angry, but because anger can go south quickly, bearing a destructive connotation. I wonder what a 7-year-old thinks of a game called “Angry Birds.” I wonder what it teaches children about anger…

Scripture has a lot to say about anger. Mainly, be angry, but do not sin. It’s all about what we do with our anger, not that it is wrong to feel angry. I sure don’t want my granddaughter to equate demolition to the normal response of anger, except maybe on I-64 (just kidding). I suggest a name change for the game – to “Flying Birds.” Bring it down a notch.

Now that I reflect on it, I neglected to take advantage of the teachable moment to tell my granddaughter that angry birds, just like angry people, do not accomplish anything good when they go on the attack. I know it’s just a game. Maybe even harmless at times… Still, I pray that all my grandchildren understand God’s heart about anger. Proverbs 29:11 says “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” As God’s image-bearers, let us be encouraged to take on the character of Christ described in Exodus 34:6 which explains, “…The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, (is) slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

 

 

 

Background Photo Credit – Kim Clayton Lance

Psalm 37:1 “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”

I am generally not shocked by lies unless they come from within the tried and tested Christian community. Still evil. Never mind. I am not shocked.

I look in the mirror. I can’t throw the first stone, I wouldn’t even think of trying to throw the first stone. I have spun facts and omitted truths ever since I was old enough to try to manipulate authority to believe that I am not guilty. The biggest lies are the ones we say to ourselves when we look in the mirror. And then we presume to help others in their struggles to have the mind of Christ? But our own plausible lies are still hanging out there in the way.

But, when we absorb God’s Word to a healthy saturation, we can be better at detecting deception – especially self-deception. You would hope. I saw a post from “God’s Word (FB)” today (6-25-16) that said, “Fill your mind with God’s Word and you will have no room for Satan’s lies.” Of course, I gave this my usual “thumbs up,” and then remembered something else that I read today from Paul David Tripp’s book INSTRUMENTS IN THE REDEEMER’S HANDS…

Tripp pointed out that there is often a disconnect between our interpretation of circumstances and our response to circumstances. As God’s ambassadors, this is especially problematic. Especially if we are trying to help others to confront unhealthy things in their lives before we confront unhealthy things in our own lives. Often, our response is to self-excuse or self-atone ourselves, even as well-seasoned believers, thereby disqualifying ourselves from confronting others through graciously speaking the truth in love.

There is always this door of decision. There is always the radar of God’s Word for exposing deception. A Garden of Eden moment. Be very aware of the plausible lie. The lie that starts out with something true and good, and then gets a big perverted twist. Be very aware of how a lie gains power by flying largely undetected. Flying under the radar. Spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning…

Here is the truth. I Peter 3:8-17 “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble…Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech…Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have…It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

Be prepared. Examine your own heart. Look for the plausible lies. Wrench away from plausible lies through God’s enabling power. Don’t be like the grass that withers away either. Don’t be shocked by evil; be sober. Let God prepare you to be an effective ambassador. There is always a door of decision. There is always the radar of God’s Word. Soak in it with a heart of repentance.

And do not fret.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 37:29 “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.”

I have always considered myself a “Martha” (Luke 10:38-42) – worried and concerned about so many things, a Type A task-oriented worker bee. I realize the shortcomings in this profile and the roses that I have not had a chance to smell along life’s way. One of those roses is my maternal family acreage whose driveway is embellished by lines of tall trees. The beautiful refurbished homestead exists because of the loving efforts and expense of my parents.

For many years, I never liked visiting the restful boondocks along these country roads. I always thought life was too slow here. I only heard clocks ticking incessantly on the mantle at my step grandmother’s house at Bacon’s Castle. I only pondered the many youthful things I could be doing instead of seemingly wasting time. I was a declared “city girl” through and through. Not very aware of the magic that could be found on the backroads of family ties. Not very aware of the God Who was always present on my unfolding journey of faith.

Luke 10:41-42 “‘Martha Martha,’the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’ ” Mary sat at the the Lord’s feet listening attentively to what He was saying. Meanwhile, Martha busied herself in perhaps the would-be kitchen, distracted by all the preparations for a guest’s visit – especially Jesus. Mary put her relationship with Jesus first and gave Him her undivided attention. Meanwhile, Martha harbored a complaining spirit, feeling abandoned by her sister, and feeling that the load of work unfairly fell upon her shoulders. (Even in my task-orientation comfort, I have always resented the kitchen when I miss out on all the rich conversations going on in the living room… that is another Martha story.)

Perspective is everything here. Just like the Smithfield home place. Easy to miss the value. Easy to be distracted by other things. Easy to be too busy. Easy for many years to pass by. Easy to discount the blessings of family heritage and the storyline that brought me into this family tree in the first place…

But gaining new perspective, easy to be grateful when you eventually realize an unfolding promise. Easy to sense the redemption story being told despite unrecoverable moments. Easy to find rest here now. Easier to hear the Lord’s voice. Easier to understand “forever” in light of the long lane to LaGrange. This picture book farm on a sunny day might be a shadow of heaven, drawing me heavenly homeward. A reminder of God’s investment in my family for generations. A reminder that “the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.” A reminder of the legacy of faith in my family’s generations. Easier to be grateful for some pretty great parents.

Always a reminder to enjoy sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Psalm 37:25 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”

Genesis 9:13 “I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.”

A slew of hopes and dreams miraculously converged and materialized on May 14, 2016 when four generations of my family members got together on a beautiful, heaven-like day at “the farm.” No one was absent! The great grandparents were there and all three of our adult children, their spouses, and all three grandchildren/cousins!

I was once young and now I am older, and this gathering was definitely a rare alignment! In my busy busy younger life, I didn’t really appreciate “the farm.” Only recently have I embraced the Kodak moments that should be sweetly savored, including get togethers at this sacred site. Little did I know that one day a double rainbow would settle over my complete family on a pretty day in the country, highlighting a life of God’s blessing and a legacy of singular faith in Him shared by all. The prayer of my life, answered with an exclamation point, in a fleeting moment, but eternal in reality. It was a “Wow” few hours!

All of our stories have never been smooth, but God is good – all the time! Not a flimsy saying, by any means. Certainly Pilgrim’s Progress has been descriptive of the rough terrain of our faith. Yet, God gave us this unmistakeable promise in Isaiah 59:21, ” ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit, Who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,’ says the Lord.”

I have never seen the righteous forsaken. That double rainbow reminded me of God’s great faithfulness in my family. What a day!

 

Psalm 37:1a “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;”

Isaiah 43:1-2 “But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, O Jacob, He Who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire; you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’ ”

Psalm 37 may mean the most to me because it promises that God will take care of all the evil stuff, in His own time. All that is required is trust in Him. I need not fret or be paralyzed by what occurs in a fallen world. Instead, there is a great promise for me in Isaiah 43. Fret not, because I am redeemed. Fret not, because I have been summoned by name by a loving Father who will be with me always. I will not be swept over, burned or set ablaze. Turbulent waters may come, but I have been summoned by name by the Lord who created me, formed me and redeemed me.

Yes, I am saddened by the people who do wrong to get ahead, and seemingly “win” as a result. Whether it is the falsification of grades or identity fraud or the use of steroids by top athletes (the list goes on…), how frustrating it is to watch it all unfold in our fallen, flawed world. I know, I know… Stop pointing the finger. I am a sinner capable of all of the above, too, but thankfully I am saved by God’s grace. Because of His grace and no effort of my own, I am not counted among evil people.

Turbulent waters will keep swirling. Raging fires will keep burning. But, I have this hope… and Franklin Graham summed it up best in his tweet yesterday: “The God that delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from their fiery execution is the same God today – and He is still more than able to save.”

The summons that counts in life is when God calls you by name and you are confident it is for all eternity. He is still more than able to save.

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

As a grandmother of three granddaughters, I have lived a joyful but exhausting dimension of life on earth caring for my youngest two-year-old granddaughter for almost two weeks. Granted, it actually took two grandparents (Nana and Pop Pop) double-timing it to cover all the bases, but it can be done! And when we look back, we will always say, “That’s Good!”

From maple syrup rubbed by sticky little hands into blond baby curls at breakfast to wild singing and dancing along with Disney’s “Hot Dog Dance” – there is no more doubt – “That’s Good!”

We heard the word “no” A LOT! When we said “go left” we always expected she would “go right” and when we said “get up” we knew she would want to “go down.” But we learned that ingenious, but patient distractions could be used to lead our robust little toddler to eat or go to bed. Hugs and “hold you’s” stole our hearts and took the “terrible” out of two!

From our little grandgirl we learned so much. The best thing was when asked “Who saved you?” – this little gal said Jesus. And “Who made you?” – sometimes answering God and sometimes answering Dora (the family dog). And for prayers before bedtime, this little one especially exclaimed “Amen!” with folded hands.

Psalm 78:6-7 says, “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”

While we delight in the Lord, our grandchildren represent one of the deepest desires of our hearts. Enjoying this granddaughter for two weeks reminded us of what a gift it is to participate in the next generation AND the one after that! “That’s Good!”

 

 

 

 

Psalm 37:6a “He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn…”

By God’s grace, I participate in a Bible study called Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). This year’s amazing study is on the book of Revelation and will be completed after 30 weeks, 26 of which have already passed. With the 2nd advent of Jesus Christ and the coming of a new heaven and new earth in Revelation 22, believers are promised that the curses of sin and death will be removed. Hallelujah! Communion with the Father and the Lamb is promised to be up close and personal in a way that we have only dimly imagined. Believers will dwell with the Lord and be in His presence constantly and enjoy intimate communion – actually face to face! His name will be on our foreheads. Our foreheads will truly face each other.

Significant in Ephesians 6, we are told to protect our heads with the “helmet” of salvation. We know from science that the body’s heat is protected from the cold best when we cover our heads. When we became children of God, we were sealed with the Lamb’s name on our foreheads as opposed to the “inhabitants of the earth” who will receive the mark of the beast. God knows and seals those who belong to Him.

High priests were marked with the designation “Holy to the Lord” in the history of God’s people. They wore a gold plate (diadem) on their foreheads that carried this engraving. This indicated authority and dignity. When Jesus became the only High Priest that we will ever need, He sealed us with his Name by His blood. This carries authority and dignity. Our faith is now credited to us as His righteousness. We carry His mark on our lives. There will be a special designation on our foreheads when we are introduced to the new heaven and the new earth, the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.

Exodus 28:36-38 says, ” ‘Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord.’ ”

Now Christ is our Head, the Head of the Body – His Church. His Name is over all names. His name is symbolically, maybe even literally-in-a-spiritual-sense, engraved on our foreheads! He bore our guilt and shame to redeem us. He is our Righteousness and makes it shine like the dawn.

Bringing Christ to the fore is all I need to do. Situating Him up front in my life is my act of worship in response to His great love. Jesus is the One Who makes me acceptable to the Father by the diadem He places over my forehead that says “Holy to the Lord.” My Redeemer lives – He is my covering, my Intercessor, the Lover of my Soul – engraved on my forehead forever.

 

 

 

This entry is dedicated to Cindy – a great friend, a colleague, and an artist. Oh, and a “Happy Birthday” shout out today to my husband of 35 years who supports my excursions to the OBX with the girls!!!

Psalm 37:25-26 “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.”

God’s faithfulness over time is my overarching inspiration here! I just returned from an Outer Banks retreat with my Christian women friends of many years. One friend led us in acrylic painting lessons to replicate a photo of “our beach” (where many memories have been made). This friend generously supplied the paints, paint brushes and instruction; we each brought a canvas. I must admit a preconceived attitude of reluctance to push out of my comfort zone to paint a picture, but I also gathered a real appreciation for the beauty that can come out of ashes if coaxed. And eventually, the true shock that comes from trying something new, like painting, and finding out how satisfying the creative process can be…

Years ago, when I was much younger, I met some precious women at a local church and we began a journey together through Bible study, prayer, discipleship training and of course laughter and tears. A couple of us even founded a Christian preschool together (and it still exists)! We journeyed through the heartaches and joys of marriage and parenting small children, the challenges of walking by faith and not by sight, and the agonies and celebrations of our families of origin. By far, this Christian bonding kept us out of the therapist’s office and offered godly friendships that have spanned almost 30 years.

By God’s grace, we survived in spite of our own children’s growing pains; we are still praying through our children’s “adult” issues and learning to listen well; we are celebrating the joys of grandchildren and the ability to be involved in this amazing second generation. We still see many things that can threaten our peace, but together we still cling to the One who calls us His children and sees us as righteous through the shed blood of His Son Jesus. We have never been forsaken. And, our children really are blessed.

At “our beach”, our souls are somehow fed a lot. We started retreating maybe 5 years ago (we’re not sure). There, laughter always brings us some tears of joy! Small wonders bring big smiles – Gail’s tuna salad and ABC cake; Leanne’s brunswick stew, lasagna and oatmeal cookies; M&M’s and olives, “Pollyanna” or “Calendar Girls;” the latest book recommendations; muumuu dresses; the porch swing; ankle bracelets and temporary or not tattoos; “Chicken Feet;” serpentining poses by Joan and Patti; guest book entries… And now painting.

There is always freedom, generosity, and blessing when we are together. There is healing. There is soul care. There is the blessing of amazing friends in Christ. Now I am older, and I can’t wait to go to “our beach” again! Although a couple of us have recently retired from frenzied careers, we are all still busy in the dailyness of ministry. We love to look ahead to the next OBX retreat to recharge, regroup, rehabilitate, restore, repent, recover, revive, relax, replenish, renew, reflect, recline and rest. The “re” words are very important to us. We thank God for the wonderful chances He gives us to be together twice a year and “re.”

Psalm 4:3-4 “But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill.”